Inside Asian Gaming

December 2015 inside asian gaming 21 Tech Talk Cash Still King Banknotes have proven resilient in maintaining their position as the most secure and flexible means of payment worldwide. Despite strong growth in the adoption of electronic payments, G&D expects no fall-off in the demand for banknotes, with banknote circulation volumes forecast to rise 5% a year for the foreseeable future. Even in an advanced economy like Germany, more than half of payments are still made in cash, while globally the figure is about 80%. “Cash is 100% reliable in times of crisis. It’s in periods of panic where a solid financial system has to prove itself,” said Ralf Wintergerst, a G&D board member. “In a crisis situation, the demand for cash typically rises sharply. The reason for this is trust in real currency.” The magic of modern banknotes is that the average person can quickly distinguish between a genuine and fake one using just their eyes and hands — it either “feels” real or it doesn’t. Acceptance by people and machines ultimately determines the success of banknotes. It’s a testament to the tireless innovation of companies like G&D that the immediately apparent security features are easily identifiable yet resistant to counterfeiting. Of course, banknotes also incorporate further levels of security features that require tools for verification. There are even concealed security features known only to central banks. “It has printed more than 125 billion banknotes for various currency zones and exports banknote paper and high-security foil to more than 100 countries. In 2014 alone, it produced 22,500 tons of banknote paper and 15 million square meters of security foil.”